Time of Death
by Temorali
Summary: Shire Temorali is the daughter of the Dinaurian King, Dynal XVI. But when she one day finds out that she's half Kiranian and destined to walk a dark path, will she choose her family that rejects her or the very people she was raised to hate, who accept her? With betrayal and pain around every corner, Shire must find her own path, and quickly- or war will destroy all.
1. ACT ZERO

ACT 0

PROLOGUE

_It started nearly five thousand years ago._

_A divine being, known as the Fate, watched over the world and its inhabitants for many long years. Its job was to watch the creatures and pass judgment based on the lives of the beings. If judged to be cruel or unkind, the creatures would die miserably, and if judged to be good and pure, the creatures would die peacefully and happily when their time came. However, weary of its job and sensing no progress in the world as it was, the Fate decided to leave the world and allow civilizations to rise. To complete its final task, the Fate split into two beings. Brothers. One was the embodiment of light, and the other, the embodiment of darkness. The brother of light was the first Dinaurian to ever exist, and he was named King Dynal. His brother, who drew upon the darkness as his source of strength, became known as Lord Z, the first Kiranian. These two brothers would each rise and take command of their own species, and create civilizations like none had ever seen before. However, the Kings were too different. As time went on, these eternal Kings began a war that would last for the rest of time as they knew it. The Dinaurians and the Kiranians were destined to hate each other for all eternity, and with both being equal in strength, the end of this war was never within sight. Tired of the conflict and the death, Dynal and Z agreed on one last battle, one that would determine the fate of the planet itself. The brothers fought, one-on-one, to the very death in order to gain control over both species and decide which route the world was going to take. The night before the fight, Dynal beseeched the god, Ark Ra, to give him the strength to take on his vengeful brother. Ark Ra returned his prayer with five rings, each one giving birth to a new element: Fire, Earth, Air, Water, and Neutral. With these five rings, elements were birthed into the world, and Dynal absorbed the power of each one. When he arrived at the battlefield the next day, and faced his brother, Z, he managed to overwhelm him and defeat him. However, unable to kill his own brother, Dynal instead sacrificed his life energy to Ark Ra and froze Z in a stone that would last a thousand years. Without a King for either species, the conflict ceased, and the empires took to rebuilding what they had lost._

_One day, however, Z would return. And when he did, the war would begin anew, and it would tear the world apart._

**/DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fossil Fighters. Dynal I, Z, the Fate, and the Kiranians all belong to me./**


	2. Act I Chapter 1

ACT 1

THE END

"_The time has come!"_

Every Dinaurian on the mother ship _Cruiser XV_ was gathered now, around a large stage where King Dynal XVI was shouting to the audience. Every voice in the crowd was silent, every movement stilled. The only sign of activity in the chamber was Dynal himself as he gestured to his audience.

"After our multi-million year wait in stone sleep, we awake to the stars once again. But this time, we have hope!"

_Hope._ The single word somehow seemed to mean so much to so many people. Even those who had lived in despair for the last few years of their waking lives seemed to perk up at the mention of the word, spoken by the King they adored and trusted.

"Most of you remember the day that Guhnash descended upon our planet, taking away the lives we had known since our birth." The crowd went rigid. Dynal paused for a moment, recalling how the great destroyer beast had blocked out the sun as it started to feast upon the very planet they walked on. "We lost many loved ones that day to the Destroyer," Dynal continued, in a somber voice, "but many of us survived. We stand here now, proof that even the greatest calamity cannot be rid of us, that we will always persevere, that we will always live on." Dynal's voice was still lowered, but excitement shone in his eyes. He spread his arms wide and gestured to everyone around him, meeting the eyes of every individual before continuing. "We have suffered, homeless, for millions of years! Now, we will finally claim our new home world- Earth- and begin living new lives amongst others of our kind! With Project: Mother Planet, the first of our colonies should already be waiting for us on the surface of Earth." A few quiet murmurs coursed through the crowd as they watched Dynal, hopeful, waiting. Dynal brought his tone down to a more descriptive one. "Our first scouting team, led by a group of elite pilots, will depart shortly and will return with news on the planet's condition and evolutionary status. If all is well…" another pause, a grin tugging at the corners of the King's mouth, "…we will immediately begin the movement to our new life!"

The crowd erupted suddenly into a fierce cacophony of cheers and howls. Dynal couldn't resist- he was grinning madly now, along with his people, and he threw his arms wide, as if embracing everyone he saw. "WE ARE HOME!"

With the announcement officially over, the Dinaurians went to work, putting in as much effort as they could. The hope from the meeting flowed through their veins and supplied them all with a surplus of excitement and energy. King Dynal checked up on everyone's progress as he walked the corridors of the _Cruiser_, with two people trailing behind him. One of these people was a tall, gray-haired girl. She had deep yellow eyes, red horns, and a black mask-like marking over her face. The rest of her white body was covered mostly in gray and black markings. She walked with an air of pride as she followed Dynal, who just so happened to also be her father.

Dynal stopped walking for a moment as he turned and looked at his daughter. "Shire Temorali," he said, addressing her formally, "could you find Sekel and bring him to me? I need to talk to him about the scouting mission that he is to lead."

Shire nodded with a grin splitting her face. She thought of the pilot, with his silver, curly hair and his deep blue eyes. He was a Dinaurian of the Earth element, but that never had dampened his love for flying. He was very passionate about everything he did, although you wouldn't guess it at first. He was a quiet man who didn't say more than necessary, and so he often appeared nonchalant or even uncaring. But as Shire knew, personally, that wasn't the case.

Trying not to reveal her feelings to her father, Shire quickly turned away and walked off, starting her search for Sekel Lyrach. Her heart fluttered a little at the mere thought of seeing him again, but she quickly tried to stomp down on her feelings. _You are a Dinaurian princess, _she scolded herself silently, _not some blushing shy schoolgirl. Come on, Shire, get your act together. Sure, he's your cute boyfriend, but people expect you to act like you're royalty, not some lovey-dovey little girl._ Luckily for her, however, Shire soon caught sight of some of her friends nearby, trying to move what was apparently a very heavy box. With a quiet snicker to herself, she trotted over, and then surprised them with a firm clap on each of their backs. "Hey there, dorks!" Shire laughed. "It's nice to see you two finally doing your fair share of the work around here."

The two of them each whipped around and gave Shire a hard look, one that said, _But we do work, unlike you!_ But it was all in good spirits, because a minute later they laughed happily.

These two Dinaurians were some of the few people Shire was really close friends with. The friendly-looking fluffy guy's name was Razor. He was a social and fun friend of Shire's, who really just liked enjoying himself and hanging out more than working or doing anything productive. If he was put to the test, however, he would always step up to the challenge, and prove himself as reliable as a person can be.

The grumpy-looking blue one with the indigo hair was Raptin Dinon. He was honestly a good man, but this Dinaurian was known for his bad temper and his arrogant and sometimes angry personality. He always values his own kind before any allegiances to specific people, which made him a very loyal member of Dynal's civilization. He could always be trusted as long as he believed that what he was doing would benefit the Dinaurian Empire in the long run.

Razor sighed suddenly, leaning back on a crate that was almost as tall as he was. "Hey, Shire, can you lend us a hand, you think?" At Shire's curious expression, he added, "We've been lifting these boxes ever since your father ended that announcement. I'm soooooo tired….but Raptin won't help me with this last one, which just so happens to be the heaviest one." He shot a quick glare at Raptin, who bristled.

"Hey, I am too helping! And it's not like you did that much work anyway, Razor. Most of the work that we did was accomplished because I did most of it."

"Girls, girls! Please stop quarrelling," Shire mocked in a slightly higher pitched voice, "I'm sure there's enough crate there for the two of you!"

Razor looked surprised for a moment before laughing his head off, and Raptin made a face that looked like a snarl. "It's not like you've done any work today, Shire," he growled, "so the least you could do is lend us a hand."

Shire punched his arm lightly and grinned. "Sure thing, Raptin," she agreed, beckoning the two of them towards the box. They each grabbed the bottom of it, then all at once in a grand team effort, lifted the box from its earlier position and stacked it on top of some others. Worn by the effort, Razor slumped to the ground in a heap, but with a smile still plastered to his face. Raptin didn't show his fatigue as much as Razor, but still sat down on the floor, cross-legged, opposite of Razor and Shire.

"That should be the last one," he mused.

Shire nodded. Then, she thought to ask her friends about Sekel, since that was her original mission anyways before _Operation: Move Box for Lazy Friends_. Just as she was about to open her mouth, another voice called out from further away.

"HEY, SHIRE!"

Shire turned around and saw exactly the man she was looking for, along with two of her other friends following close behind. She waved them over, and couldn't keep a smile from her face when she met Sekel's eyes. Those wonderful, deep blue eyes.

"I'm surprised to still see you here," Sekel greeted in a calm, smooth voice. He stopped right in front of her, and a smile crept onto his own face as well. She was just about to reply when one of the people behind him made himself apparent.

"Shouldn't we be elsewhere…?" A gold-haired Kiranian muttered, shooting a glare at Shire. His name was Kendel, and he was a distant cousin of Sekel's. He had just a bit of Dinaurian blood in him, and that was enough to let the Dinaurians allow him to live amongst them. This doesn't mean they were all cozy with him or anything though. The Empire barely tolerated his presence, and it was only because he didn't step out of line that they hadn't kicked him out into space yet. Due to being hated, Kendel had grown cold towards almost anyone he met, including Shire, but he hung around them all anyways. Shire supposed he was probably lonely, and her friends had the decency to not bash Kiranians…at least in front of him.

"K-Kendel…" a quiet voice spoke up from the other side of Sekel shyly, and Shire turned to see another of her friends casting everyone around her a worried look. "Kendel, there's still a little more time," she explained, looking down at the ground, her voice barely audible.

Shire smiled softly at the little girl. She wasn't that little though, really. Her name was Ari, and she was only a few years younger than Shire herself- Ari was still a teenager, but only barely. She's a quiet and timid girl, but she's really nice, and Shire always felt like a big sister around her. Ari hated all forms of violence, and when bullied by the occasional Dinaurian, Shire would always find them and teach them a lesson personally. Ari had started following Shire around some after a while, and now she grew acquainted with the rest of Shire's friends, too.

Sekel looked back as the two exchanged back and forth, then turned to Shire and gave a low chuckle. Shire looked up into his eyes and tilted her head at him curiously.

"Sure, I'm still here," she blinked. "But what about you? I thought you were going to pilot the scout ship to investigate Earth."

Sekel raised his hand to Shire's face and slowly stroked the side of her face. Shire melted into his touch immediately, and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. His gaze was warm, Shire noted, but there was something else there too. Apprehension? Fear? She couldn't tell exactly.

"I just came to say goodbye." Sekel murmured, leaning his head against hers. Their noses brushed. "I'll try and return as soon as possible, though. Don't worry about it. If all goes well, I should be back within the day."

_Sekel…_ Shire closed her eyes and focused on his breathing for a moment, trying to settle the nervousness fluttering in her chest. Sekel would be fine. He was a wonderful pilot, she assured herself, the best the Dinaurian Empire had to offer. Everything would be fine.

'Are you two quite done?" Shire shot a glare at Kendel, who had apparently ended his argument with Ari and was instead shooting daggers at her and his cousin. His look of contempt never faded, even as he turned and started walking off. "Cousin," he started, his voice dripping with acid. "In case you forgot, we have a planet to scout. We can't exactly do that without a pilot, can we?"

Sekel turned his head to watch as Kendel walked off, and then released a small sigh. "He's right, of course. I'm sure Dynal sent you to find me anyway, Shire. I should probably go now."

Shire forced a smile onto her face. "When you come back with news on Earth's condition, we'll have to celebrate a bit," she suggested, and felt a little better when he returned her smile.

"Yes," Sekel agreed, "let's do that. A little fun couldn't hurt around here." With a gentle kiss on the tip of Shire's nose, he backed away, turning to follow Kendel down the corridor to the flight station. Shire, Ari, Razor, and Raptin were left behind, watching.

"He's a good guy for you, Shire," Raptin commented with a sniff. Shire turned to look at him, then offered yet another smile.

But for some reason, the tightness in her chest hadn't seemed to go away. Everything was going to be okay…wasn't it?

**/Disclaimer: I do not own Fossil Fighters or any of its characters. **

**Shire, Sekel, and Kendel belong to me.**

**Razor belongs to ass-pen on deviantArt.**

**Ari belongs to SONMEL on deviantArt./**


	3. Act I Chapter 2

**ACT I**

**THE END**

Tyrak Karstag was a soldier. He always had been. When he was five his mother, Heather Karstag, had given him lessons on the most effective ways to incapacitate enemies in any situation. His mother was a true warrior, despite being ultimately fun-loving and flirty, and he had always admired that. His father, Sidnis, wasn't as strong a fighter, but he always found strength in protecting children and other underdogs. Tyrak admired his father too.

But Tyrak wasn't his parents.

Orange eyes surveyed his surroundings as he stood by King Dynal's side. He had to always be alert. His reason for existence was to protect the King at all costs, and there was no way in the Void he was going to fail in this lifelong mission. Even though most of the Dinaurians were eager to follow their King into the depths of Hell if need be, there would always be those few who would see King Dynal harmed. Even a King could not please everyone.

_Like that man over there,_ he acknowledged with a narrow gaze as Sekel, the pilot, and his cousin Kendel, the assistant, approached King Dynal. Kendel was one of the rare few Kiranians that were allowed to share the same air as the Dinaurians, but that didn't mean he ever fit in. His eyes would always give him away. Dinaurians and Kiranians shared many similarities, genetically, and at first sight, the two species could easily be confused. Kiranians had the same build, though many of them were lankier and somewhat smaller in comparison to their Dinaurian counterparts. However, the only visible difference that could tell what a person happened to be was their eyes. Unlike Dinaurian eyes, which had a few variations, Kiranians' eyes were usually entirely red with dark lizard-like slits for pupils. They had no irises, though this didn't affect their sight whatsoever; instead, their eyes showed strange lines, four on each side of the surface of the eye that went from the outside of the eyeball and seemed to reach towards the pupil in the center. These eyes were always unsettling to any Dinaurian, but Tyrak was used to them now. He had seen them too many times.

The Kiranian couldn't be trusted. Kendel had a dangerous glint in his eyes, one that Tyrak had been aware of from the moment he met the man. But Kendel was a coward and a weakling in the face of power, and there was little chance that he would act out right now, when there were many witnesses around and King Dynal was under protection. Regardless, Tyrak kept his eyes on him the entire time Kendel remained within sight.

Sekel bowed low as he approached King Dynal, waiting for a moment before rising again. Kendel huffed almost inaudibly from behind him and offered no such courtesy, not that King Dynal seemed to mind. The King matched Sekel's sky blue eyes with his own piercing yellow, and a smile spread across his mouth as he clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder. Sekel looked slightly taken aback, but tried not to show his surprise.

"You're very young for a pilot, Sekel Lyrach, but you have proven your skill. Now, for your people, you are going to scout our new home and tell us how to proceed. You are brave, entering unknown territory for the first time. But all of us, myself especially, have the utmost faith that you will return with everything." King Dynal's voice was light, and he couldn't keep the excitement from creeping in.

"You're going to be a hero, Sekel."

Tyrak's face softened a little at the wholly excited look on Sekel's face. He was showing the simple naiveté of a child, but then again, most people did react this happily when told they were going to be the hero of an entire race. Tyrak, however, was skeptical about the whole thing.

After Sekel bowed once more, then departed with Kendel to begin the mission, Tyrak turned back to the King and met his gaze. The energy from finding a new home at long last hadn't left his eyes. "What is it, friend?" he asked, noticing Tyrak's hesitance.

"…Permission to speak freely, Your Highness?"

"As always."

"I do not think it best that we allow the Kiranian to embark on this mission with Lyrach, sir." Tyrak stated firmly.

King Dynal put his hand to his chin for a moment, thoughtful. After a few seconds, he spoke. "I don't like it either, Tyrak," he confessed with a bit of a sigh.

"Then why…?"

"Because Sekel wished it," Dynal answered, even though his eyes gave away his confusion behind his own answer. Sekel and Kendel weren't particularly close, even as cousins, and Sekel often let the latter fend for himself. There was some kind of protectiveness Sekel had in him, though, and it often floated to the surface around his close ones…especially the King's daughter. "Perhaps he believes that, if he allows Kendel to help with the mission, he'll be less hated amongst our society," the King suggested.

Tyrak felt him waiting for a response, so Tyrak shook his head. "Even if that were the case, Kendel will never be accepted here."

King Dynal nodded, as if that were the answer he had suspected he'd be given. Neither of them spoke, but Tyrak understood. King Dynal felt the same way. A Kiranian could never truly be accepted by the Dinaurian people. There was too much anger. Too much distrust. Too much hatred.

And the Dinaurians never wanted to let go of that.

A few hours later, the first ever ship to scout the planet Earth departed, with a small crew consisting of roughly 20 members. The ship was piloted by the one and only Sekel Lyrach, expert flier and calm-headed individual. The Kiranian, Kendel Aurako, acted as Sekel's assistant. The other members of the crew did their work. Some of them helped the management of the machine, others took notes on Earth's condition, but a few were in charge of containing and controlling Guhnash's muscle tissue. Guhnash, destroyer of worlds. Guhnash, who had forced the Dinaurian people to escape into the depths of space, searching hopelessly for a new planet to call home. Guhnash, whose tissue was being used to power a ship full of people.

That very same day, the ship crashed.

Its crew lost contact….

…and people were dead.

**/Author's Notes/**

**Sorry for the lack of update lately! School's finally out now though, so I'll try to stay on top of this for those of you reading. And to you people, thank you! I love knowing that people are actually reading (and hopefully enjoying!) my story!**

**And please, don't hate Tyrak! He's a good guy, really. He's one of the main characters in ToD, so I'll be writing him often. If you don't like him, please, deal with him a little longer!**

**I'll try to make the next chapter a longer one, too!**

**Reviews are always appreciated! I'd love to know what you all think!**

_**Tyrak, Sekel, Kendel, Heather, Sidnis, and the Kiranians belong to me.**_

_**Dynal and the Dinaurians belong to Nintendo/Fossil Fighters.**_


	4. Act I Chapter 3

**ACT I**

**THE END**

The air was thick, nearly choking Shire as she set foot on the tiny island. The sudden change from the regulated temperatures and humidity of the spaceship was making her lightheaded, but at the same time, she couldn't help but simply sit there and _breathe_. It was liberating, she thought, to be able to taste real air once again.

The last time she had been on a planet was when she was six. Then Guhnash had come, and she and her father had fled aboard the Mothership, never to return again.

Not that there was anything to return to.

Shire ran a hand uneasily through her hair as she took a long look at her surroundings. The "island" was hardly more than a speck of green floating endlessly in the middle of an ocean. Not far away from where she had teleported down laid a large heap of metal, vaguely recognizable as Dinaurian technology. Smoke wafted lazily up into the air, seemingly undaunted by the rest of the world.

Worry carved its way onto Shire's face as she surveyed the wreckage. Images of her white-haired boyfriend flashed through her mind, and just as anxiety was beginning to propel her forward, something touched her shoulder, causing her to jump.

"Sorry…Are you okay, your Highness?"

Shire spun around to face Celinda Lisidor, the green-haired mechanic. The woman was gray-skinned with forest stripes running along her back and tail, and on her face she wore the trademark tattoos of the Lisidor tribe (a modern tribe that had once coexisted beside the Dinaurian Kingdom, only to die with the rest of the planet.) She watched her princess with a concerned look, which Shire promptly ignored. Instead, Shire turned her attention to the blur of movement behind her, where she caught sight of the rest of her group as they teleported into existence.

Karcold, a blue-skinned, taller man, shifted about uncertainly as he took in the land around him. He was their guard for this trip, and Shire had seen him in action well enough – he was quick to move, and very courageous, but also level-headed. However, the feeling of being on a planet once more seemed to have knocked the clarity out of him for the moment, as it had the rest of them.

Kea was a white-skinned, lanky girl, with a silver bob of hair. Her turquoise eyes scanned the ground with interest, and her ears were perked as she listened closely for any signs of danger. Shire had talked to Kea a few times before, and she was normally a really bright and bubbly girl, but she was very sharp, and her skills as a scout were renowned.

And then, behind them, stood Duna Nichs and Raptin Dinon. They were both up-and-coming prodigies, incredibly skilled despite their young age – Duna was only thirteen years of age, whereas Raptin was roughly seventeen, the same age as Shire. They both had risen through the ranks with incredible speed, and were rapidly becoming Dynal's most trusted of the Dinaurian Elite.

Shire's crew of five had been entrusted by Dynal himself to investigate the crash. With a shudder, the princess turned around to once again look out upon the wreckage that may yet contain the man who held her heart.

_Sekel Lyrach had been on that ship. _Most of the other Dinaurians had managed to teleport back to safety before the technology had crashed, but a few hadn't yet made it. Kendel didn't. Sekel didn't. A few others whose names Shire did not know were lost, too. _Are they dead? _

Shire wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer to that question.

Duna stepped up beside Shire, looking up at her with her large, yellow eyes. "Your Highness? Shall we proceed?" she asked, allowing her gaze to follow Shire's out towards the heap of metal sitting about tauntingly.

Shire nodded once briskly. Signaling to the others, she straightened her back, then took her first steps towards her mission goal.

She was going to find Sekel and the others.

…

The inside of the ship was far worse than the outside. Whereas one could have easily realized what the machine was by a glance, from within, it seemed to only be the strewn about remnants of a pathetic laboratory. A few computers buzzed on and off from the walls to their right, and sparks blew from the ceiling haphazardly.

"Watch your step," Kea whispered, as if afraid to punctuate the silence. She signaled to their feet, where random objects lay about chaotically, likely in disarray due to the crash.

Shire nodded her understanding, but she couldn't keep her attention on the floor for long. From a little ways away came a moan of pain; the group's ears all perked up at once, straining to hear where the direction was coming from.

"Who's there?" Duna called out worriedly, looking about her for any signs of life. "Where are you? We can't see you."

The other voice responded weakly, and the words couldn't be made out, but it was enough for Kea to pinpoint their location. The scout sprinted over to a corner of the hallway, where debris had collapsed from the ceiling and onto the floor in a messy heap. Shire hurried closely behind, her heart thudding painfully.

There was a Dinaurian trapped under the debris.

A Dinaurian with white hair.

Kea fell to her knees and, with the help of Karcold, began moving away the metal that was piled on top of the Dinaurian. Shire could do nothing but stare silently as Kea ordered Karcold in a quiet voice, trying to get the weakening body dislodged from the mess. Shire became faintly aware of Raptin's presence beside her, but she couldn't focus.

Then suddenly, Kea froze. Karcold finished lifting the final piece of metal by himself, shooting Kea a worried look. Shire edged closer uncertainly, trying to see what had caused her to stop moving. One glance, however, had Shire stepping away, shaking her head.

It wasn't Sekel trapped under that mess, after all.

"L-Lai….?" Kea's voice sounded like it was about to break.

The Dinaurian – a blue-skinned woman with long, graceful white locks – coughed violently as she was moved out of the debris and out onto the cold metal floor. Kea bit her lip, like she was trying to hold back tears. Karcold kneeled down beside the two of them, and with Duna's help, began trying to stem the bleeding.

Lai half-whispered, half-choked something to Kea, which only made her shudder painfully as she held back a sob. Shire watched detachedly as Duna shook her head, then moved away, Karcold following after one last glance at the girl he couldn't save. Lai tried once more to speak, and Kea finally broke out into tears. She let out a strangled gasp and bent over Lai's body as the last of the woman's life fled her eyes, leaving her body limp in Kea's arms.

Celinda averted her gaze sadly, as did the rest of them. Shire continued watching the scene with a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach before turning away and stalking down another hallway.

They had to press on.

* * *

_I'm trying to pick this story up again, even if just a little bit! I currently have inspiration for how to write the chapter after this, too, so hopefully I'll get the next one up soon. Thanks to everyone who holds on to this story with me!_

_Dynal, Raptin, Duna, and the Dinaurians belong to Nintendo_

_Karcold belongs to CBgiraffe on deviantArt_

_Other characters and Kiranians belongs to me._


End file.
